Using deep learning to analyze genetic mutations: an interview with Brendan Frey

Using deep learning to analyze genetic mutations: an interview with Brendan Frey

Interview conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, MA (Cantab) Please can you explain what deep learning algorithms are and how they could help to uncover disease-causing genetic mutations? To understand deep learning in the context of genetic disease, you need to understand shallow learning first. Shallow learning relates mutations to diseases by looking for mutations that commonly occur in patients with a disease. It’s a commonly used method. However, doing that almost always fails to identify the mutation that causes the disease, because mutations occur in clusters and the true causal one will be buried in a cluster of non-causal mutations that are all correlated with the disease. The true causal mutation leads to disease through a cascade of cellular processes that occur within living cells and deep learning can be used…